Magician's Cocktail
by C. E. Mott
Summary: Timothy McGee has fallen in love three times. One was a shadow, one was an echo, and one was a dream. This is the story of his shadow. The story of how love is a mix with a bit of magic: a Magician's Cocktail. Pre-NCIS.
1. Chapter 1

Summary: _Timothy McGee has fallen in love three times. One was a shadow, one was an echo, and one was a dream. This is the story of his shadow._

**A/N: This story chronicles what took place between McGee and Ginny many years ago. Those of you who haven't read my story 'Spontaneous Combustion' don't leave me now! This first chapter may not make much sense but I promise McGee will be in the next chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS but a hug from McGee would suffice.**

A brilliant redhead and a brunette with caramel highlights peered intently at a computer screen. They were at one of the many chestnut desks in a large, hexagonal room. The walls had a sterile blue glow gently pulsating through them and shiny steel trimmings added to the impersonality of the room.

"I can't believe it." The second woman spoke, leaning around the redhead. "Rebecca can't possibly still be mad at us. It is not our fault that she got transferred. Seriously, "Dear Camilla and The Nameless One"?" The two stared disbelieving at the screen.

"I don't think she could bring herself to actually use my name. Addressing me as Ginny would promote attachment." The redhead commented.

"Let's reply." Camilla put the keyboard in her lap and began to type. "Dear Becky…"

"We're setting ourselves up for doom. She hates it when you call her Becky." Ignoring Ginny, Camilla continued to type.

"While we appreciate your email…" The two looked up to see Rebecca walking past at just that moment. The partners warily watched the slender, tan woman with glossy, black hair walk by while Camilla furiously hit the backspace button. Pausing only to impart a vicious glare, Rebecca quickly went on her way. Before Ginny and Camilla could continue their email, a sandy blonde woman with jade eyes beckoned for them from atop the stairs. Seeing the motion for them to follow, the partners crossed to the far end of the room and climbed the stairs. The woman was already walking ahead of them by the time they reached the top. They made their way through the maze of hallways by memory, finally reaching their destination. The golden plaque outside the office read _Missions Director Cassandra Ashton_. Seating themselves opposite the director, the partners waited to be filled in on their latest assignment. The office was painted a robin's egg blue with a white desk, chairs, and bookshelf plus a large plasma screen on the left wall. Cassandra tossed two thick files across the desk, one for each agent. Immediately, they began flipping through them.

"This one is a bit closer to home." Cassandra began.

"A bit? Last I checked Russia was a lot farther away than DC. I'd say this one _is_ home." Camilla remarked. Upon seeing Cassandra's scathing look, she hung her head, feeling rather like a scolded student.

"We have intel that a Russian extraction team is targeting a company here in DC. It is your job to retrieve the targeted technology before they do. The technology is a file containing a deadly computer virus that could potentially wipe out the entire military network. It would breach all the way through to the Pentagon before they could begin to effectively combat it. The virus is called 'Tarantula'. There are two possibilities for where it is hidden: it will be stored on one of two laptops. Both computers belong to two chief engineers: one to Dr. Ferris and one to Dr. Priam. You two will be employed by the company, Margaux Tech, as assistants. Camilla will be assigned to Ferris, and Ginny to Priam. We have arranged for two of the current assistants to contract a disease that will prevent them from working for quite a while. With your freshly-printed credentials, you are sure to be hired. The doctors normally have three assistants and since we didn't want to make them suspicious one of them has remained healthy. Two people having overlapping illnesses is normal-three is either an epidemic or poison. We don't want either, so one had to stay. Ginny, you will be charming him-make sure he doesn't get suspicious, keep him away from the operation, and find out which computer contains Tarantula. "

"I never get to have any fun." Camilla muttered mutinously. Ginny flipped to a page of the file with a picture clipped in. A slightly chubby young man with blonde hair and green-blue eyes smiled out at her.

"Is this him? Timothy McGee?" she asked.

"Yes, he is your, for lack of a better word, crush." As Ginny glanced over his resume, doubt began to cloud her features.

"I'm not sure we can fool him. From his resume, it seems like he knows his stuff." Ginny noted fretfully. She desperately wanted to go on a successful mission after the blowout they'd had in Russia.

"That's why you both will be taking intensive computer courses for the next month. You're going to learn everything you need to know. The pair of you will be roommates together—the flat is already rented and the keys are in the back of the file, as well as your IDs—read up. You will have three months to complete the mission. Now go see Elliot to get some respectable working clothes. After that, you may see whatever designer you wish for off-the-job wear." Cassandra dismissed them and the two trotted off to meet Elliot.

"It's no wonder we've been ordered not to see Nora this time. I don't think you can really trust a girl with blue and pink streaks in her hair to design geeky work clothes." Ginny lamented the command to stay away from one of her favorite designers.

"We'll just have to see her for the other clothes." Camilla asserted.

"We're off to see the Closet, the wonderful Closet of clothes!" The two burst into their usual duet about the designers' lair as they made their way towards it.

When the partners reached the Closet, it was filled with the usual bustle. Designers flitted back and forth, trailing fabrics all across the bright and colorful room. Mannequins were strewn about the capacious chamber with designs half-pinned on. They had begun to pick their way through the partially-covered floor when Nora spotted them. The petite brunette came bounding over, her pixie cut enhancing her elfish features.

"What can I do for my two favorite customers?" She smiled cheerily. Ginny and Camilla exchanged looks of discomfort.

"Well…" Ginny began. "We have to go to Elliot."

"It was an order." Camilla added quickly, seeing Nora's crestfallen expression.

"But it's only for the work clothes. We're undercover as geeks."

"Do you really want to design that kind of outfit anyway?"

"Cassandra said we could come to you for anything not-work." Her happiness restored, Nora beamed at them and skipped off to another corner of the Closet.

"You know where to find me!" She called over her shoulder. Sighing with relief, Ginny and Camilla made their way to Elliot. Light brown pigtails trailed over her hunched shoulders as she leaned over her desk. Ginny tapped her on the shoulder and Elliot turned to look at them with large blue eyes.

"What can I do for you?" She asked. The partners ordered their work clothes and Elliot got to work, taking measurements, drawing sketches, and asking if they had any preferences. An hour and a half later, the two made their way to Nora where she gleefully began designing outfits.

The partners slowly meandered to their desks, sinking into their chairs. Wordlessly, they began to read through the thick folders Cassandra had handed them. Suddenly, Ginny leapt to her feet.

"What is it?" Camilla began to ask but Ginny was already halfway up the stairs. Bursting into Cassandra's office, she brandished a page of the file. She placed a plastic card on the desk and folded her arms, her expression demanding an explanation.

"Is there something you want?" Cassandra inquired as the silence persisted.

"Why does my fake ID have my real name on it?" Ginny questioned.

"You already have the perfect cover for this op—live the life you never had. You joined the agency, and were thus erased from all databases, at 18. Why would we create an alias when there's already an impeccable one ripe for the picking?" Cassandra elucidated.

"So, I'm going to be an alternate-universe version of myself?" Ginny asked quizzically.

"Yes." Cassandra nodded. "Is there anything else?" Ginny shook her and, picking up her ID, left the office.

Camilla watched her as Ginny returned to her seat.

"What was that about?" Camilla asked, confused.

"What's your identity?" Ginny queried. Opening the file, Camilla flipped through before holding up a plastic card.

"Lily McComb. Why?" Ginny tossed her ID to Camilla in response.

"I'm pretending to be myself."

**Please review and tell me what you think, I'm very interested to hear what people say! Do you like Camilla? Also, can anyone guess who the echo and who the dream is?**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: The echo is the fake girl Tony made up on the online dating-thing because Tony was just echoing what McGee wanted to hear in the profile. The dream is Abby because McGee never would have dreamed of dating anyone like her. I love everyone reading my story so much, thank you!**

**Disclaimer 1: Margaux Tech is my own creation as well as its buildings, technology, etc. I don't own NCIS but a hug from McGee would suffice.**

**Disclaimer 2: I know nothing about computers. I literally typed 'what do computer people do?' into Google the other day. I'm sorry. If you have any ideas and you know about computers, please tell help me. I'm begging you.**

One month later, Ginny and Camilla were waiting to be driven to their hotel. Sitting in the lobby, Ginny put her headphones on and turned on her iPod. It was ritual to get herself psyched up for the next mission. As the first track of her playlist began, Ginny's mind drifted away. Her head snapped up as a car pulled up and loudly honked the horn. The partners hopped in the car and were on their way. Nathan, their raven-haired control officer, was reviewing the file with them as he drove.

"Camilla, what is your alias?" Camilla sighed in exasperation. "Quickly, we don't have all day."

"I'm Lily McComb, birthday April 22nd…" She rattled off Lily's life story quickly. They pulled into the parking garage and towed their suitcases along behind them. Silence invaded their exchange as they prepared to say their good-byes. They stopped once they reached the elevator—they knew that no one could see Nathan with them. People would wonder who he was and the less questions, the better.

"Come back." Nathan said simply.

"We will." Ginny assured him.

"Got everything?"

"Yep." They waved goodbye and entered the elevator.

"You ready?" Camilla asked. The usual anticipation for the operation to begin was bubbling in the pit of their stomachs.

"Definitely." The elevator doors opened and the grand charade began. The two girls walked quickly up to the front desk.

"Hi, we had a reservation under 'McComb'." The man quickly typed the name into his computer and handed them the key.

"Suite 507." Camilla nodded her thanks and the partners made their way to the hotel room. Upon arriving, the two looked around the luxurious room. There was a kitchen to the left, a bedroom to the right, and the entry room was a very posh sitting room. The wallpaper was a pale gold diamond pattern in the sitting room. There was a soft white sofa facing a large oak cabinet with a television inside. A glass table lay between the two. Directly in back was a three-paneled, floor-to-ceiling window surrounding a round terrace. A circular chestnut table was placed in the middle and four wooden chairs were around it. The terrace was dark wood, elevated off the ground and the rest of the sitting room floor was white carpet. The kitchen had flowery yellow wall paper and robin's egg blue tiling on the floor. White cabinets bedecked the walls of the small space. The bedroom contained two twin beds covered in gold duvets. The walls were painted a light turquoise and a closet door lay in the far corner.

The two girls wandered around the suite for a while before unpacking their numerous bags. As they unpacked, they looked at their new clothes for the first time and admired the outfits Elliot and Nora had created. Camilla looked on with mock envy as Ginny pulled out numerous gorgeous dresses.

"Why do you get all the really amazing clothes?" She asked.

"Because I'm going on dates." They finished unpacking and wandered around the room for a bit.

"The first interview's at 2. Let's go out for lunch." The two girls headed out.

After a full day consisting of shopping and job interviews, Camilla and Ginny collapsed onto their beds. Without a word, the two exhausted operatives slipped into bed and fell asleep the moment their heads touched their pillows.

The next morning they were up at five. A quick run followed by morning coffee was interrupted by a call from their interviewer. They were told they had been temporarily hired and were expected at nine. Ready to walk out the door, Ginny felt as though she were living the life she could have had. A shiver ran its icy claws down her spine as they left.

They called a taxi and drove to their new workplace. Stepping out, Camilla and Ginny were met with a squat glass building about 15 stories tall. It hung on an iron frame and the polished metal gleamed in the sunlight. A large glass door, far taller than the average person, was bordered by thick steel plates. Large gold letters proclaiming 'MARGAUX TECHNOLOGIES' were embossed above the door. Camilla and Ginny entered the lobby, a large room with posh red and gold furnishings. They took the elevator to the third floor. Upon exiting, they saw a room that appeared to be made of wires. Cabinets were haphazardly placed about and sprouted colorful cords that ran across the floor in dizzying circles. Whirring and buzzing echoed through the cave-like chamber. Carefully navigating the electric maze, the two women headed towards the back.

"Hello?" Camilla called only to hear her voice bounce back to her. A few moments later, an odd looking man poked his head around the corner.

"Jim, they've arrived!" His voice was a bit sing-song with a chirpy quality to it. The man had a halo of snowy white hair that looked like it might melt away in the slightest heat. Curious grey eyes peered from behind spectacles and light wrinkles were rumpled about them. Though he was older, the man had a sturdy build and was slightly taller than both girls. He had the air of a philosopher—a sort of contemplative nature. "Dr. Charles Ferris." He said, holding out his hand. "You must be the new assistants?"

"Yes, we are. Lily McComb."

"Ginny Cummins." Camilla and Ginny introduced themselves and shook his hand. Another man came around the corner and strode towards them. He was much younger, with jet black hair and steely indigo eyes. His face was free of lines and he was several inches taller than Ginny.

"Dr. Priam." He said in a deep, authoritative voice as he held out his hand. The girls introduced themselves again. "Come on, we have work to do." Dr. Priam seemed to be all business, an efficient machine of science. He led them around the lab quickly showing them each station. It was mostly computers, supplemented with machines to run different tests. A large display screen was mounted on the left side of the cream room. Three large windows were cut into the far wall and warm, buttery yellow light slipped through, bathing the floor in the sun's radiance.

A young man was sitting in front of a computer, brow furrowed as he worked the computer furiously.

"This is my other assistant, Timothy McGee. McGee," Dr. Priam called to the slightly, but not unpleasantly, chubby man hunched by the computer. He looked up, turquoise eyes wide and innocent, vaguely reminiscent of a teddy bear. Short blonde hair and slightly pouty lips only added to the resemblance. Smiling widely, he got up and crossed to them.

"Timothy McGee or just McGee. Nice to meet you." Ginny and Camilla returned the grin.

"Lily McComb."

"Ginny Cummins. I think I'll call you Tim, if that's alright." He nodded assent.

"What about me calling you Gin?" Tim asked sarcastically.

"I'm not sure how well that would go over." Ginny replied, laughing. Barely a moment passed before their gaze was broken by Dr. Priam.

"It's time to get to work. Ginny, your desk is there." He pointed to a desk directly opposite Tim's. "Lily will be working at that desk." He pointed to the opposite side of the room. "Now we need to brief you. We have just started work on a program that will create incredibly complex and accurate simulations of humans. It will be used in the military to test safety features on tanks rather than the alternative—blowing up a tank with a dummy inside." Dr. Ferris went on to explain the details of the program. After several minutes they were dismissed and set to work.

The daylight reached its peak and began to wane, the windows telling the time of day like a grand sundial. They worked in concentrated silence as the hours graduated from glowing gold to blushing pink. Much to her delight, Ginny was having no trouble writing the program. She sent up a silent prayer of thanks for those computer courses she had taken earlier, although she was fairly certain she and Camilla had been given an easy assignment for their first day. However, there was little pause for thought in their busy workday. The only respite was a brief lunch period during which they were merely allowed to multitask, shifting between eating and typing.

"You can slack off when we're closer to the deadline. Right now we have to take the bull by the horns." Dr. Priam commanded, quickly ushering them out of the small lunchroom addendum. Ginny hadn't had a chance to utter another word to Tim before they had been whisked back to their desks. At six o'clock a chime rang out and the girls' heads snapped up, searching for the source of the sound.

"Six o'clock already? You are dismissed!" Dr. Ferris ambled through the jungle of electrical cords to an old grandfather clock resting in the corner. The assistants shut off their equipment and waved goodbye to the doctors. Camilla's and Ginny's heels clicked on the tiled floor as they headed for the elevator. As Camilla punched the call button, Ginny turned to Tim.

"Tim?" He turned towards her. "Would you like to get a coffee with Lily and me?" Ginny queried confidently.

"Sure—there's a Starbucks a few blocks away. Is that alright?" He replied grinning.

"Sounds great." She returned his smile happily as they stepped into the elevator. The small metal compartment filled quickly as employees left for the day and the three were soon squished in the back. Upon entering the lobby, Camilla took an exaggerated breath.

"I can breathe again." She remarked.

"You better get used to it. It's like this every day." Tim chuckled

"Does Dr. Priam usually shackle the assistants to their desks?" Ginny enquired playfully as they headed out into the street.

"No, he only does that at the beginning of the project. He likes to make sure we have time to smooth out any wrinkles." Tim responded.

"What is it like working with computers all the time?" She asked with genuine curiosity. Tim took a moment to ponder it.

"Well…you get a sense of satisfaction with every problem you solve. There's a rhythm to it, like a mathematical song. You see a problem and fix it, by contorting your brain and thinking in different ways. It's calculated creativity."

"Wow," Ginny spoke softly, looking at him with a hint of awe in her eyes. "That was kind of poetic." Tim turned to look at her, the bright sunset illuminating the street with its rosy shine, and as the light caught Ginny's eyes they sparkled like stars stolen from the sky. Tim did a double-take as everything about her brightened in an inexplicable, almost celestial, way. "What is it?" She asked, seeing his strange expression.

"Nothing…" He looked at the ground again. "Hey, where's Lily?" Ginny looked around quickly, having not noticed her friend's absence. She swore under her breath—these were the kind of mistakes spies couldn't afford to make. She had been out of the game for too long.

"I'm over here." Lily called in a bored monotone from behind them. "Can we get to the coffee already? I need my caffeine." Tim and Ginny laughed and the trio headed down the streets, the echo of their footsteps rebounding through the darkening sky.

**Another thing, I'm very insecure about writing romances so if you could help me, telling me if you think it is going at a natural pace or not, that would be great :). So, As Clint Eastwood said in **_**Sudden Impact**_**, "Go ahead. Make my day." And review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I love everyone reading my story so much, thank you! Special thanks to Anishine and Abbi4Raie for adding my story to favorites! Sorry it's taken awhile, I've been suffering from creative stifling and school but I'm sure you've already seen the excuses card played so let's get on to the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS but a hug from McGee would suffice. Minor swear ahead.**

The trio turned into the café and took a table. Tim ordered three coffees at the counter and returned to their chairs. Camilla and Ginny thanked him, accepting their drinks.

"What made you two decide to go into computers?" Tim asked them.

"I like numbers. They're very definitive, very exact. Numbers are an oxymoron—they're variable and stable at the same time. Something so contradictory was appealing to me" Ginny replied.

"Interesting." Tim peered at her curiously.

"Don't even bother to try and interpret that into who I am as a person. It won't work." Tim laughed.

"Don't worry—I'll figure out who you are some other way" He responded. Camilla gave a low wolf whistle then she and Ginny fell into a bout of laughter. Tim blushed a shade of red that would put a tomato to shame.

"I didn't mean it like that." He clarified quietly, embarrassed.

"It's alright; I didn't take it that way." Ginny reassured him.

"What about you, Lily? Why did you get into computers?" Tim brought the conversation back to its original focus, steering it away from himself. Camilla shrugged.

"With technology, life becomes easier. I wanted to be on the forefront" she replied simply. "Now tell us about the good doctors—what's it like working for them?"

"Dr. Ferris is more imaginative and whimsical. George and Laura—they were the permanent assistants—and I call him the Wizard of Oz."

"He does seem like the type of guy to get in a hot air balloon and float over the rainbow." Camilla commented.

"If he could prove Oz existed I'm sure he would. Dr. Priam is more professional," Tim continued. "He's much more demanding, thus he has two assistants. He tends to be all business and very goal-oriented."

"Oh joy." Ginny remarked sarcastically. Tim chuckled.

"Don't worry—it's not all that bad. Between the two of us, we should be able to divide up the work pretty easily. Though, there was a week when George was visiting his brother and I was left alone to do the work. By lunch I was absolutely exhausted, so I asked Laura to take over for a moment while I dozed in the break room. The instant my eyelids closed I was knocked out. Being the helpful, kind person she was, Laura continued to do my work for over an hour. Dr. Priam was in his office, concentrating on the project, so he never noticed my absence. Dr. Priam tends to do that—he'll shut himself away in that room for hours on end, coming out periodically to check on our progress. I honestly think Dr. Ferris didn't notice Laura was doing twice the work that day—he always seems to be off somewhere in Oz. When Dr. Priam finally came out he was furious. I remember crashing to the floor off the break room table when he slammed in. I was cleaning floors for a month before I could go back to regular work. George called me The Great Narcoleptic for ages after that. He still sometimes refers to me by that name." Camilla and Ginny chortled, imagining a startled Tim looking up at Dr. Priam from the floor.

"Don't bail on me, I won't last an hour!" Ginny teased. As the three sipped their coffee Tim dove into another humorous story. When he finished, the last strains of twilight were painting the street with their faint glow.

"You are quite the storyteller Tim. I wish I could hear more but it's getting late—Ginny and I should probably be on our way." Camilla excused herself.

"Thanks for the coffee—I hope we can do it again!" Ginny called over her shoulder as she left the café.

"Welcome. I enjoyed meeting you. See you tomorrow." Tim's voice faded as the two girls disappeared onto the street. Grinning pleasurably, he headed towards his apartment. He was looking forward to work the next day.

Camilla shut the door to their hotel room and threw her coat over the sofa.

"Computers are _exhausting_." She grumbled, following her coat onto the couch. Ginny emerged from the bedroom a few minutes later in a _Phantom of the Opera_ T-shirt and black sweat pants.

"Get used to it. We're going to be here a while." She plopped down next to Camilla.

"Speaking of which, what did you think of Tim?" Camilla questioned.

"He's kind of cute. Definitely smart too, and very sweet—he's not bad for an undercover assignment" Ginny replied.

"Remember those guys we had to date in Moscow? They went on and on about their ex-girlfriends—what they looked like, their interests, how far they got. I wanted to shoot myself." Ginny nodded in remembrance.

"We deserve an Oscar for that." She sighed with fatigue. The beginning of a mission was always draining—looking at the days stretching ahead, thinking of all the lies and deceit, the manipulation and circumvention to come. They were constantly on their toes, waiting for something to go wrong. It was an exhausting job. Not to mention this particular operation required the pair to be at computers five days a week. Technology was not their forte. It was difficult for two hyper-aware spies to sit in front of a monitor for hours on end. Spies were trained to be in constant motion, always taking evasive action. 'Immobile' didn't exist in their world. They were like sharks—swim or sink.

"Want to order take-out?" Camilla asked, kicking off her heels.

"Do we really have a choice? We never bought any food."

"Good point. I'll order pepperoni." Camilla grabbed her phone. Ginny grabbed the television remote and began flicking through channels. When Camilla hung up Ginny had found a movie—_27 Dresses_. The pizza boy arrived and the two best friends settled down to a night of greasy fast-food and a chic flic. The danger of undercover operations was insanity. The agent got in too deep, became immersed in the fabrications, and lost it. They become enshrouded in a vale of depression, a feeling their life was meaningless and they had no identity. Thus, comedy movie nights were born. Camilla and Ginny decided they did not want to become suicidal so at every opportunity they picked a comedy and watched it. Laughing was definitely the best medicine.

By the time the movie ended it was nearing midnight. Yawning, Camilla pulled herself off the sofa and plodded to the bedroom.

"G'night. See you tomorrow. I'll try not to laugh when you flirt." A few seconds later Ginny heard a thump as Camilla flung herself onto the bed. Following suit, Ginny crawled into the other twin bed. Sleep rained upon her and she was tumbling into the world of dreams within moments.

**Again, I'm very insecure about writing romances so if you could help me, telling me if you think it is going at a natural pace or not, that would be great. I have an interesting-ish poll on my profile that you all should definitely visit. Also, if sharks stop swimming they die. I have no idea why, but it's true. Now Review!**


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